But he has changed his mind since speaking to the other countries in the deal, Mexico and Canada, Mr Trump said, though other members of his administration echoed his threat that he could still leave if the United States didn't get more favourable terms.
"I think we'll be successful in the renegotiation, which, frankly, would be good because it would be simpler" than canceling the deal, Trump said.
Trump said if he had chose to sign an order within days announcing an intent to withdraw from NAFTA, it would have represented a "pretty big, you know, shock to the system". "And I said I will hold on the termination, let's see if we can make it a fair deal, because NAFTA has been a disgusting deal for the United States".
Trump said in an interview with Reuters that he will not hesitate to change course again and pull the plug on the North American Free Trade Agreement if the negotiations become "unserious". "What many Americans don't always fully appreciate is, Canada is the single biggest customer of the United States".
"Unquestionably, he's not delivered on his campaign promises", says Lori Wallach, a critic of NAFTA and other trade deals and director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch.
The currency had fallen on Wednesday after a USA official said the White House was considering a draft executive order to withdraw from NAFTA, which binds the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"I was glad to see the president saying that he believes we can get a great deal".
U.S. troops patrolling Turkish-Syrian border
The US has been complaining that Turkey has been carrying out attacks without any coordination with their coalition partners. Ankara is keen to join any US-led operation to clear Raqa of IS militants, but without Syrian Kurdish militia forces.
Trump's late-Wednesday statement said he would not withdraw "at this time". Reports that Trump was considering an executive order to withdraw the USA from the pact "sent a shudder through the markets", National Bank analyst Angelo Katsoras said in a research note. The debate played out in the press Wednesday as some outlets quoted officials insisting the signing was imminent, while other officials dismissed the reports as "just a rumor". Perdue even brought along a prop to the Oval Office: a map of the United States that illustrated the areas that would be hardest hit, particularly from agriculture and manufacturing losses, and highlighting that many of those states and counties were "Trump country" communities that had voted for the president last November. And it is unclear what would happen next.
Talk of the potential withdrawal from Nafta earlier drove the Mexican and Canadian currencies lower.
Yet, in recent days Trump has fielded questions from bewildered reporters about whether his recent actions toward and statements about Canadian trade practices are moving the longtime friendly neighbors toward a trade war. In fact, I was going to do it today.
President Donald Trump has informed the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Canada that he won't be terminating the NAFTA treaty but will instead focus on renegotiating it.
"I am very upset with NAFTA". Trump administration officials were reportedly considering issuing an executive order to signal the United States' intent to withdraw from the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, according to several news organizations.
Trudeau has repeatedly said he was open to renegotiating the pact, while reminding lawmakers in Washington that more than half of U.S. states rely on free trade with Canada - notably in the automotive and agricultural sectors.
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